Combination chair-table device



Jan. 26, 1960 J. L. JOHNSTON 2,922,453

COMBINATION CHAIR-TABLE DEVICE Filed Nov. 22, 1954 James L. (Johns/0x7 INVENTOR.

By 74km WM;

i ATTURIVEYJ ur-v United States Patent COMBINATION CHAIR-TABLE DEVICE James L. Johnston, Longview, Tex., assignor to R. E. Smith, Houston, Tex.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in combination chair-table devices.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved chair or bench which can be readily converted into a table having a seat therewith.

An important object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combination chair-table device which is so constructed that one portion of the device serves as a backrest in one position and a tabletop in another position. i

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which is usable as a chair or table and which has a backrest-tabletop portion which is pivotally mounted for sliding movement to a substantially horizontal position for use as a tabletop, such device having stops for limiting the sliding movement of said backrest-tabletop portion so as to retain such portion in either the backrest position or in the tabletop position.

- The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an isometric view illustrating the device of this invention in position for use as a chair or bench.

Figure 2 is an isometric view illustrating the device of this invention in position for use as a table.

Figure 3 is an isometric view illustrating in detail the linkage at one side of the device for connecting the backrest-tabletop portion of the device to the frame for sliding pivotal movement, such linkage being in the backrest position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but illustrating the linkage for the device in the tabletop position.

In the drawings, the letter A designates the frame of the combination chair-table device of this invention. A seat portion B is secured to the frame andit is the portion of the device upon which persons sit during theuse thereof, whether the device is being used as a chair or bench or is being used'as a table. The backrest-tabletop portion C of the device serves as the backrest for persons using same when the device is in the chair or bench position (Figure 1); however, the portion C serves as a tabletop when the portion C has been moved to the table position (Figure 2). As will be explained in detail hereinafter, the portion C of the combination device of this invention is so mounted on the frame A that it can be moved with a sliding pivotal movement from the chair or bench position (Figure 1) to the table position (Figure 2), or vice versa.

The frame A has front legs which are substantially vertical and which are connected by a horizontal front bar 12 extending therebetween and secured thereto by welding or other securing means. A horizontal side bar 14 extends rearwardly from each front leg 10. The side 1 bars 14 are connected to rear legs 15 which extend substantially vertically, and each of which extends upwardly above the horizontal side bars 14, such extension being identified by the numeral 16. The front legs 10 and the rear legs 15 are supported by lower side braces 18 which are welded or otherwise secured to the legs 10 aud 15. The members 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 18 are all preferably formed of angle bars which are of iron or steel or some other similar relatively strong metal or other material; all of such members are secured together by welding or any other securing means.

The seat portion B of the device is formed of two or more boards 20 which are attached to the side bars 14 by screws 21 or any other suitable securing means. The boards 20 are preferably formed of redwood for outdoor use, but it will be appreciated that metal or any substantially rigid material can be used. In fact, the seat portion B can be formed of a single piece which is attached to theframe A. In order to make the device more rigid, brace members 25 are provided which extend from the lower side braces 18 to one of the boards 20 of the seat portion B. The brace members 25 are connected to the lower side braces 18 by bolts, rivets, welding or any other suitable securing means and the upper portions of the brace members 25 are connected to one of the boards 20 by screws 26 or any other suitable securing means.

The backrest-tabletop portion C of the device'is preferably formed of a plurality of boards 30 which can be formed of various materials, but in the usual case, for outdoor use, the boards 30 would be redwood. It will be appreciated, of course, that the portion C can be formed of a single sheet or plate and may be formed of metal or any other substantially rigid material. The

boards 30 are secured to support bars 32 disposed at each' the front of Figure 1) is shown separately from the boards 30 in order to illustrate the pivotal connection of the backrest C to the frame A of the device. As can be seen in Figure 3, the support bar 32 is an angle iron formed with the forward portion 32a and the side portion 32b. The forward portion 32a is in contact with the rear surfaces of the boards 30. The side portion 32b is at a right angle to the forward portion 32a of the support bar 32 and it has its forward or lower end connected to links 35 and 36. The links 35 and 36 are identical in shape and construction and each has one end thereof connected to the forward end of the side portion 32b of each support arm 32 by a" pivot pin 38. The other ends of the links 35 and 36 are connected to the upright extension 16 by a pivot pin 39.

When-the device-ofthis invention is in use as a. chair or 'bench, the backrest-tabletop portion C is in the position shown in Figure 1 and the support bars 32 are in the position shown in Figure 3 for the left bar 32. When the bars 32 are in such position, the lower edges 32c and 32d contact the upper side member .14 to thereby transfer a portion of the weight or load caused by a person leaning backwardly on the portion C from the bars 32 to the side members 14 of the frame A.

Each bar 32 is formed with a stop lug 42 which extends laterally outwardly and which stops or limits the forward movement of each bar 32 by contact with an upwardly extending projection or stop 43 formed on the outside portion 16a of the upright extension 16. The stop lug 42 of each bar 32 also rests upon the top edge of the out- 3 i side portion 16a of the vertical extension 16 so that when the portion C is in the backrest position, a part of the weight of the person leaning against the portion C is also transferred to the upright section 16 which in turn transfers such Weight to the frame A.

When it is desired to move the backrest-tabletop p tion C to a substantially horizontal position for use of same as a tabletop (Figure 2), the portion C is pivoted by sliding same upwardly and backwardly. As the portion C is thus moved upwardly and backwardly, the pivotal movement is obtained through the pivot links 35 and 36 as the lower edge 32e of each supportbar 32 rides or slides along the upper edge of the rear. portion 16b of each vertical upright 16. When the bars 32 are in a substantially horizontal position, so as to properly locate the portion C in a substantially horizontal position for use as a table, the pivotal movement of the bars 32 and the table portion C is stopped by the contact of a stop surface or wall 450 of notch or recess 45 with the rear section or portion 16b of each upright 16. It will be observed that an inclined notch surface or wall 45b is formed in the notch 45 so that as the rearward pivoting motion of the bar 32 occurs, the bars 32 are properly guided for the stopping contact of the stop surface 45a with the rear portion 16b. The inclined surface 45b on each bar 32 also facilitates the sliding motion of the bar 32 as it returns from the substantially horizontal position of Figures 2 and 4 to the inclined position of Figures 1 and 3.

The operation or use of the device of this invention is believed evident from the foregoing description. The device can, of course, be used as a chair or bench (Figure 1) or it can be used as a table (Figure 2).

When the device is in the chair or bench position, the Weight of a person or persons leaning against the pivoted portion C is distributed to the frame A by reason of the contact of the lower edges 32c and 32a of each support bar 32 and also by reason of the contact of the stop lugs 42 on the bars 32 which engage the upper edge of the upright extension 16. The stop lugs 42 also contact the stop projections 43 on the upright extensions 16 to prevent the inadvertent forward swinging of the portion C when in the backrest position. I

For moving the device of this invention from a chair or bench position to the table position, the pivoted portion C is pulled or lifted upwardly or reawardly from the backrest position so as to pivotally swing same to the substantially horizontal position for use as a tabletop. As the portion C is pulled or raised upwardly and rearwardly, the lower edge 322 of each bar 32 rides or slides along the upper edge of the rear portion 16b of each vertical extension 16. The rearward sliding movement continues until the stop surface 45:: of each notch 45 engages with the rear portion 16b of each upright extension 16. It will be evident that the stop wall 45a is formed so as to provide a recess therewith which permits the bars 32 to drop downwardly to accurately locate the portion C in a horizontal position for use as a table. The portion C is thus retained in its horizontal position and is held against inadvertent release from the table position.

When the pivoted portion C is to be moved from its table position to the backrest position for use as a chair or bench, the pivoted portion C is urged forwardly, but

is not lifted. The portion C is raised upwardly by the sliding contact of the inclined wall 45b of the recess or notch 45 so that the support bars 32 again have their lower edges 32a in sliding engagement with the upper edge of the rear portion 16d of the upright extension, whereby the sliding movement as the bars 32 pivot downwardly is obtained. Such pivotal movement is of course controlled by the pivoted links 35 and 36 and the downward movement is stopped when the lower edges 32c and 32d of each support bar contact the upper surface of the horizontal side bars 14. The stop lugs 42 also contact the stop projections 43 to restrain forward movement of the upper end of the backrest-tabletop portion C.

It is believed evident that the construction illustrated may be varied and still obtain the same advantages of this invention. For example, only one link, such as 35, could be used rather than the two. links 35 and 36. It is also believed evident that the frame A can be modified to include additional braces or have a different shape. The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the. illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A device adapted to be used as a table or chair, comprising a frame, a seat portion mounted on said frame, a backrest-tabletop portion adapted to serve as a. backrest in one position and a tabletop in another position, means connecting said backrest-tabletop portion to said frame for movement from the backrest position to the tabletop position, said last mentioned means including, a pair of upright extensions on said frame extending upwardly from the level of the seat portion, a pivoted link pivotally connected from a point substantially midway between the upper end of each extension and said seat portion to a point at the lower end of the backresttabetop portion for pivotal movement of said backresttabletop portion relative to said frame, said backresttabletop portion including a member for sliding engagement with the upper end of each upright extension as said backrest-tabletop portion is pivoted relative to the frame, and said upright extensions and said links supporting said backrest-tabletop portion with said lower end thereof extending inwardly of said uprights but sufficiently displaced from a position directly above said seat portion to enable a person to sit on said seat portion while using said backrest-tabletop portion as a table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 266,766 Burton Oct. 31, 1882 1,757,960 Greenstreet May 13, 1930 1,792,737 Greenstreet Feb. 17, 1931 1,819,956 Kocjan Aug. 18, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 44,000 France Jan. 9, 1934 

